Museum Tour Introduces 2004–05 Issue
Museum TourÂ’s products motivate children to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering, provide educators with unique teaching tools and compelling teaching experiences, and bring the entire family together for exploration and discovery.
Portland, OR (PRWEB) September 10, 2004
Museum Tour Catalog launches its ninth annual issue. Founded by a former museum director in conjunction with 22 museums nationwide, Museum TourÂ’s goal since its inception is to assist in the financial growth of its museum members. To date, donations total over $125,000.
What Sets This Catalog Apart?
Cataloger Aids Museums Nationwide
The fiscal health of museums depends on donors contributing general operating support. This type of financial support is often overlooked. Museum TourÂ’s president, Marilynne Eichinger, experienced this need firsthand in her former position as a museum president. To address that need, she instituted the museum membership program at Museum Tour and developed the catalog to bring hands-on museum activities into homes around the country.
Museum Tour Catalog continues to grow through difficult economic times and continues to assist its museum members annually with financial aid. Museum members also benefit from the nationwide exposure from the catalog mailings to relevant consumers and educators across the U. S. (The complete list of museum members is on the back cover of every issue of Museum Tour.)
An Educational Approach to Fun
"Museum Tour’s products motivate children to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering, provide educators with unique teaching tools and compelling teaching experiences, and bring the entire family together for exploration and discovery. We differ from other catalogs in that we espouse ‘side by side’ opportunities that bring adults and children together as detectives and practitioners of learning," said Eichinger.
Some of Museum TourÂ’s side-by-side tools include adult and child pottery wheels, rock tumblers, looms, metal detectors, junior and senior board games and beginner and advanced language CDs. This year the catalog also found unique items to explore family heritage. And for the first time, Museum Tour offers linguistic selections for language development. Anyone searching for eco-friendly fun or community projects will find the expanded environmental, health and outdoor sections in this issue to be a natural resource. (Several of the 2004-05 products are also available in Spanish.)
The Case Method
Placing the "Aha" in Education and the "Hmm" in Play
Solving problems is largely what life is about. When there are no challenges, people tend to be bored and often look for new avenues to explore. Imagine the excitement of having an "Aha" realization from self-directed exploration or piqued interest that leads to many "Hmm" moments?
Investigation is at its peak with science activities. Engineering and scientific inventions are usually the result of detectives using tools and techniques for exploring the unknown. Museum Tour‘s science kits bring out the "Aha" experience that encourages the user to take the inventor’s path and develop the skills and motivation needed to further inquiry. The "Aha" and "Hmm" books available in this issue inspire a young person to think of life as a series of challenges, explorations, and solutions that are exciting and fun to realize. Education arenas refer to this as the "case method."
Many education programs now use the case method to teach. This system puts the learner in the driverÂ’s seat by presenting challenging problems that need solving. In one sense, the child becomes a detective having to form hypotheses, conduct research, look for clues, and come to conclusions. Once interest is piqued, a child is willing to learn the facts and sits still for skill training. The question we should always ask is what is the best way to motivate children and adults to this end?
To quote Anatole France:
"Do not try to satisfy your vanity by teaching a great many things. Awaken peopleÂ’s curiosity. It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good inflammable stuff, it will catch fire."
For further information, please contact:
Barbara Lund
503-794-7100
Barbl@museumtour. com.
2517 SE Mailwell Dr.
Milwaukie OR. 97222.
Fax 503.794.7111
Consumers may visit museumtour. com or call 800-360-9116 to request a catalog. The Museum Tour Catalog is an annual publication of Informal Education Products, Inc.
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